Staff Report

Misty Ann Kern

Vanessa Venegas

WARSAW — Two Warsaw women were arrested after allegedly stealing a rug from Menards.

Misty Ann Kern, 41, 704 E. Center St., Warsaw, is charged with theft, a class A misdemeanor; and theft with a prior conviction enhancement, a level 6 felony. Vanessa Venegas, 26, 601 Oak Glen Drive Apartment 5, Warsaw, is charged with theft, a class A misdemeanor.

On Aug. 7, 2021, a Warsaw Police officer went to Menards regarding a theft report. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the store’s manager.

According to court documents, the manager said two women stole a rug from Menards. The rug was valued at $280. Surveillance footage showed a woman, later identified as Venegas, exiting the store, entering a vehicle, and moving the vehicle closer to the store’s exit. Another woman, later identified as Kern, is shown pushing the rug in a cart past all points of sale without purchasing it and leaving the store. Both Venegas and Kern are shown loading the rug into a vehicle and leaving the store.

Kern was previously convicted of theft in Kosciusko County in October 2018.

For this case, Kern was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on March 31, with a $5,250 surety and cash bond. Venegas has a pretrial conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 13.